Another Road Traveled
by Flyin'ByTheSeat
Summary: An AU-ish tale. Daryl, Shane and T-Dog barely managed to escape as Hershel's farm fell. Not knowing the fates of the rest of the group, the three were (somewhat) in agreement that they would stick together and try for Fort Benning. Will they make it? What struggles will they face and who will they run into along the way? Hope you enjoy!
1. Starting Less than Fresh

Hey, guys! Here's a new story for you guys to enjoy. It's AU-ish, with the herd coming in before either Rick or Shane make any move to kill each other.

Hope you like it!

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**Starting Less than Fresh**

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The air had already begun to carry a unforgiving chill, though the autumn sun was only starting to die down. A vehicle drove down the narrow stretch of road, the rainbow of dead foliage with its fiery reds, bright oranges, yellows, and mellow browns fluttered and scrapped against the pavement as they were blown around by the wind. Inside, there was some an old song playing faintly on the CD player; for the life of the driver, he couldn't get the thing out. One of the passengers decided to use the time to refill the magazine of his gun. The other man with him was slouched and lounging on the backseat with his crossbow in his lap, his eyes looking out the window at the beginnings of a sunset and the third at the wheel, rubbing his recently shaved head for probably the fifth time since he started driving.

Two of them didn't care for each other much, hardly ever agreed on anything except that they both felt that group they were with was, to be nice about it, a bit of a mess. The chances of all them surviving long-term just seemed slim to none and that herd that tore through the farm gave them the opportunity to break away.

"We should try the next town coming up." T-Dog said as he slid the magazine back into the handgun. "Maybe we can scrounge up some supplies there… some fuel, if we're lucky."

Theodore shook his head when he got a grumble from Daryl in the backseat and a not-all-there-sounding 'yeah' from Shane.

The driver was stewed in anger. He lost Lori. He loved her and Carl. As he drove further and further from the farm and the group, wherever they were now, he started to feel that wrenching guilt. He knew Rick for years – loved that man like a brother. Driving further away cleared his mind more… the clearer it became, the worse he felt inside. He couldn't believe he was about to kill his best friend over a woman. That was some Cain and Able type of shit. That herd passing through as probably the best thing to have happened. He left behind people that he loved and avoided more blood on his hands. It was for the best.

The bowman sighed as he made himself more comfortable in back. The whole Sophia thing had made him somewhat embittered. He wanted to find her. Between that and all the other drama within the group… having to mercy kill the old man, he needed to break away. He wondered where his brother was, with the odd thought of whether or not Merle would be pissed that he left the bike behind. He didn't really know anyone there, but he was around all of them long enough to miss them somewhat. As he looked to the front of the vehicle, he shook his head. Of all the people he could leave with, Shane might not have been the best idea.

The man went as far as killing one of the old farmer's people, wouldn't really put snapping that Randall kid's neck past him, either. To his credit, not all of his calls were entirely wrong – equally sound as Rick's, some of them … though his reasons behind a lot of them were kind of fucked up. Shane offered to take him back to the highway and see if the others would show up several times before Daryl literally told him to just fucking drive. Either way, he was taking a gamble: Go with someone who you knew had some beneficial skills, but was questionable, or go with a group with questionable skills and okay people.

As far as Daryl felt, good people died. So far, that was all that he saw – Amy, Jim, Jacqui, Dale… Sophia…. Hell, he wasn't even sure if the rest of the group made it out.

"Hey, Daryl… still awake back there?" Shane inquired, taking a quick glance in the rearview mirror.

Seeing that sideways glare cut through the shadows that crept over the hunter as the sun set, it made Shane shake his head.

"Know what, ya got somethin' to say, then say it, man…. Alright?" Shane huffed before wiping his hand over his mouth. "M'ask ya somethin': What in the hell'd ya come with me for, if ya don't trus' me, hm? I mean… you n' Rick were becoming fast friends, weren't ya?"

"Naw, I don't quite trust you, you right about that." Daryl spoke. "But a group's only as strong as what they can bring to the table. That's too many wild cards, if you get what I'm sayin'… Then there's you."

"What _about_ me?" Shane uttered.

"Guys…" T-Dog interjected

"I know you killed Otis… So did the old man. An' I know you snapped that kid's neck." Daryl began "You ain't gotta confirm or deny it, Walsh… jus' know I ain't one to cross."

"The fuck?" T-Dog said as he looked at both of them "Daryl, if you bullshittin', that ain't funny, man."

"It ain't funny, I agree." Daryl responded, hearing Theodore curse under his breath and seeing him wipe a hand down his face.

"Jesus, Shane…" T-Dog said after a second.

"I already told you what happened with Otis." Shane defended "And that little punk woulda brought his guys back, you _know_ that."

Shane continued to drive, briefly looking at T-Dog and then Daryl in the rearview, both of them looking at him with in disbelief, T-Dog showing a little more concern compared to Daryl's clear mistrust.

"…Whatever, man." Shane scoffed. "Look… you ain't gotta like me – that's fine. We just watch each other's backs n' work together… keep off each other's toes, we should be fine. Get to Fort Benning, y'all can do what you want from there."

"Look…" Theodore sighed again. "If we're doin' this, we need to stay focused on what's at hand; we need to _at least_ get something to eat tonight and find a house or motel or somethin'."

Daryl looked out the window, spotting an aimlessly drifting walker at the edge of the thicker part of the woods as they drove past. The idea of cutting bait after reaching Benning was fine by Daryl. They all remained silent for the most part, with Shane ultimately agreeing with T-Dog's idea of finding supplies and a place to hole up in for the night, adding in his input for finding fuel and that they should wake up before light to get on the road tomorrow.

"Already soundin' like you got a clearer head, now that Olive Oyl's out the picture." Dixon uttered, getting a scoff from Shane in return.

The car continued to ease down the road, its passengers and operator unaware of the twists and turns their journey would take. All they knew was it wouldn't get easier. Whatever they had to do to get to Benning, rest easy and go their separate ways. Shane turned into the next little town he saw.

"Let's hit that supermarket." Shane said as he drove up to it.

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><p>So, now they're on they're way. Who will they meet on their travels?<p>

I really hope you are enjoying this so far. Hope you come back for the next chapter!


	2. On the Run

Hey, Readers! hope you enjoyed the last chapter. This one will introduce some new characters.

Hope you enjoy!

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**On the Run**

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The fading sun darkens the small living room of a little cabin in the woods. The fireplace wasn't in use to keep from drawing attention. A boy lay on the couch bundled in a coat and covered with a thick blanket. He sleeps soundly and peacefully as he is watched over by his older sister. He lay his head in her lap and pulls the covers up to his ear. The young woman looks on the boy as she gently strokes his hair, a look of worry on her face. She worries about him, his safety… her safety. As she strokes his hair, her mind flashes with what she had done since the world ended to keep them alive. Now she was being chased because of it.

"I don't regret it, Jamie." She said to herself as she placed a lock of her hair behind her ear, the electric blue dye fading from it. Her green eyes continued to look upon her kid brother as he slept soundly. She would do anything to protect him. She'd been taking care of him ever since she was 16 and living on her own; she had to, after their parents died. That was eight years ago. He was a baby then.

"We're alive… I was justified." She whispered, her French accent playing on her lips.

She ran her fingers over the two military medals pinned to her denim vest, one belonging to her great-grandfather and the other belonging to her father. She was so young when she saw him receive that pin. Though she didn't quite understand it at the time, she and her mother were very proud of him. as she moved her dainty hand to her locket and looked at the pictures inside, she couldn't help but to wonder what they would think or say if they knew of the horrors they endured. She missed them, but was glad that they wouldn't have to endure living in such a world where the dead roamed the earth. It was a harsh and evil place now. She lost her friend to it, he saved them and he died.

The young woman closed her eyes and a shaky sigh left her lips as she thought about her good friend. He recalled when they first met in 5th grade. They got on instantly, embracing each other's quirkiness and free spirits. They didn't care if anyone found them strange. He would go back and forth from France to the US until the 8th grade, when his family moved to France. They were inseparable and were practically brother and sister. She loved him dearly and supported each other's dreams. They were each other's strength through the roughest of times.

"Devlin…" she whispered as tears started to fall from her eyes. She needed him now. She was afraid of being in an unfamiliar place, of not being able to protect her brother. She needed him.

"Think she's in here, Bishop?" a voice said in a harsh whisper.

The woman was alerted and whipped her head in the direction of the sound. It was then that she recognized the voice. She cursed under her breath and shook her brother to wake until he jolted up.

"Is it them, Amarynthe?" Jamie signed with his hands, looking nervous at the sight of his sister's worried expression and she pulled her bag over her shoulder.

"They're out back, it seems. Get your things quietly." She signed back. "Take the car keys and slip through the doggie door. Don't use the remote to open it, it'll make noise – go _now_!"

The boy nodded and quickly gathered what he could, obeying his sister as he grabbed the keys from the hook by the door and putting bags out through the doggie door and then himself. Still hearing them behind the house, he quickly and carefully opened the car door and put everything in the car and got in. He unlocked the driver's door and stuck the key in the ignition before moving toward the back and ducking down where it was darkest in the car. He shook nervously and breathed tremblingly as he waited, hoping that his sister would make it out.

"Well, whaddaya think we should do to check, Vin?" Bishop smirked as he looked at the house. Franklin Bishop was a tall and muscular man, intimidating in just his presence alone. His Brooklyn accent was as thick as his slicked back hair. The person considered himself a taller, more handsome Andy Garcia-type though he had none of the class and the charm of a subway rat. Bishop was there with at least one of his usual cronies, Vinnie Morello. … as dumb as he was dangerous and fiercely loyal to Franklin.

"Maybe we should blast the thing full o' holes." Another minion said "Maybe the little mute and the tart'll catch some bullets in the process." He added with a shrug.

"I didn't fuckin' ask you Dan, now did I?" Franklin barked "Always wantin' to shoot shit up…. dumber than this one." He said while pointing his thumb to Vinnie.

"Uh… thanks?" Vinnie said.

"You're welcome." Bishop replied flatly before noticing the three walkers heading their way. "Take care of the walkers on that side and get around to the front, Vinnie." He ordered. His voice was gruff and malicious sounding "Dan, get the smoke bomb ready." He instructed the other man, who smirked at the order and started fishing through his messenger bag.

They were good with guns and scare tactics, but she was faster than them, smarter and more agile. She quietly turned the knob to the front door and slowly opened it to avoid making noise. The moment she opened it, a gun was pointed at her face.

"Well, hey there, dollface." Vinnie smirked.

Before he had a chance to cock his gun, Amarynthe took her revolver from her holster and fired a shot into his thigh and ran toward her car, getting in and starting the ignition. Both Franklin and Dan made their way around front at the sound of the blast and Vinnie's agonized wails. Dan saw the young woman in the driver's seat and began firing at the vehicle as she sped off, with Amarynthe telling Jamie to get down as low as he could and cover his head. No sooner than she said this, the rear window shattered and another shot fired through, hitting her in the shoulder. By the time they ran out to the road, she was long gone. With their car parked a half mile away on another road, they wouldn't find her. Not for a while.

…

Amarynthe tried to breathe through the pain as she drove. She had to hang on for her brother's sake. She heard her brother's sniffles and saw him in tears when she looked in the rearview mirror.

"Are you okay?" Amarynthe panted, only getting a few sobs

"Don't cry, _mon cher_." She said gently "I'll be fine…"

"But you were shot." Jamie signed.

"In the arm." Amarynthe replied. She tried to keep calm, but her eyes watered from the pain. "I'm not dying, Jamie… it'll be okay. We'll just find another place and get some medical supplies." she added, mentally beating herself up for accidentally leaving that bag behind.

Jamie wiped his eyes and looked out of the window for a moment. "They won't stop chasing us… will they?" he signed hesitantly

Amarynthe's eyebrows turned up slightly as she bit her lip. She hated seeing her little brother so scared all the time. "I can't promise that we'll always be safe… but we're safe for now." she spoke honestly. "I'll keep trying, I promise. We'll find another place… we'll find a place."

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><p>Who will Amarynthe and Jamie run into?<p>

Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far!


	3. Fireside

Hey, readers! Hope you enjoyed the last chapter. Here, we're back with Daryl, Shane and T-Dog.

Please enjoy!

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**Fireside**

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"C'mon, it's already dark." Shane said as he jogged toward the store with T-Dog and Daryl on either side. "Jus' grab enough to carry on your person, we can come back in the morning b'fore we head out."

Daryl and T-Dog nodded and quickly scanned inside the moment the door was opened and the filed in. They all immediately covered their noses, assaulted by the smell or rotted food from the meat, dairy and produce sections. It was enough to almost make Daryl's stomach start to churn nauseatingly. They couldn't focus on that now. They needed food for tonight; there was enough boxed and canned foods and non-perishables that they could be a little choosy with what they wanted.

"Walker at three." Shane said, alerting Daryl.

Daryl aimed his crossbow to his right and fired an arrow, piercing the decayed skull. T-Dog went forward and bashed in the skull of another walker with the butt of his gun, putting all his arm muscle behind each blow. Shane took his knife and drove it into yet another walker in the aisle in front of him. they took down walker after walker until Shane sounded an "all clear", hearing the same from Daryl and Theodore. The only sounds in the building at the moment were all three men breathing heavily after all the effort they exerted, looking at all the dead bodies on the ground and then the shelves again.

"I can't believe how much stuff is still here." T-Dog said in wonderment.

"Me, either." Daryl replied as he looked around. "It's a small town… maybe people bypassed it, thinking it was most likely picked clean."

"Don't let your eyes start to get big." Shane reminded. Killin' them things took up more time than I thought it would. Just take what you can carry in your bag for now."

"We said 'we got it'." Daryl grumbled.

Theodore rolled his eyes when he saw the tense, dirty looks Daryl and Shane sent each other and encouraged them to stay focused. The trio got to work, ignoring the moaning and scuffling that was pretty faint sounding currently. T-Dog took a couple of small novels that he read already out of his bag to make a little extra room. He grabbed up some first aid and a few cans of chili and ravioli, along with some honey roasted almonds and a box of powdered milk and a crank-powered lantern. Daryl stuffed random food items into his satchel and some matches, batteries and a couple of flashlights. Shane grabbed a multipack of bottled water, powdered eggs, some cans of Dinty Moore stew, a pack of Oreos, saltines and a pack of sharpies and some fresh maps.

Daryl noted that there were residences so close to the store that they wouldn't really need to gas up until tomorrow; they wouldn't really have much time anyway, as it was close to pitch black outside. Shane made known that he saw a place they could hole up in for the night: a small ranch home about a block back from the street. Theodore and Daryl agreed to head for this place, as it was a short distance from the store. They gathered everything they packed and started to head toward the door when they noticed that the cacophony of walker snarls and dragging feet had become significantly louder and slightly more rapid. There were more walkers out there now than when they went into the store. Shane cursed under his breath. One of them started to turn toward the store window, thinking there was movement. The three ducked down and out of sight.

"We can't stay in here." Daryl said "One move and they'll start bustin' windows and tearin' this place down."

"Car's surrounded by them; if we try to get to it, for sure, one of us dies." Shane replied. "Even if we all make it in, the thing can't push through all them geeks…. Fuck."

Shane and Daryl sat quietly as all three of them were trying to figure out how they would make their escape. Neither of them could come up with a scenario that could play out in their favor. T-Dog looked over at the plethora of fully dead rotted corpses and looked up to the ceiling, the word 'shit' passing his lips. Both the archer and the cop looked over at him with curious and questioning eyes.

"We'll come up with somethin'." Shane sighed as he saw the sky continue to darken.

"Nah, I _got_ a plan, but… I was hopin' I wouldn't have to do somethin' like this again." T-Dog said with a grimace "Damn."

"_A_ plan's better than nothin'." Daryl said. "Lay it on us."

Theodore told them of how he, Rick, Glenn, Jacqui, Andrea, and Morales were able to get the van to escape the city. He told them all the gruesome details of having to practically liquefy the guts of a walker and rub all of that over Rick and Glenn. Both Shane and Daryl seemed slightly mortified upon hearing it, but soon seemed more amazed, learning of how it worked to camouflage their scent from the dead. It was a crude method to say the least, but they all agreed that if it worked, they would have to do it. Shane, T-Dog, and Daryl took their sharp objects and started to get to work, hacking up the male walker closest to them. after a while, T-Dog grabbed some cleaning gloves and they worked up the nerve to start smearing their clothes with the foul-smelling gunk.

"I really hope this ain't jus' you getting' your kicks, man." Shane coughed. "Fuck…"

"Trust me… I have a _much_ better sense of humor." T-Dog frowned at the currently ever present thought of having to basically bathe in the most foul and fetid thing imaginable.

"Still can't get to the car through all them." Daryl said, clearing his throat of the smell, he didn't like that he could almost taste the horrid odor that latched onto the breathable air.

"We'll have to go out back so we don't flood the store with walkers again." Theodore suggested. "We'll have to leave the car here until the herd moves on; hopefully, they'll be gone by mornin'. Might be someplace we can crash at for the night around the back way, too."

Shane nodded and they all stood slowly. Theodore also mentioned that they had to move slowly, almost like the undead, in order to pass through safely; moving too fast would give them away as well. They moved carefully, keeping eyes on walkers getting too close and eyes on each other so that they didn't get lost in the crowd of undead. Shane looked around slowly, feeling himself tense up as his heart quickened. T-Dog walked in between the two of them, in his mind, he prayed that this idea wouldn't turn into a repeat of what happened in Atlanta with Rick and Glenn. Daryl tightened his grip on his hunting knife when a walker followed him a little, sniffing him curiously. He kept his breaths as even has he could, though he was freaking out on the inside. He looked over to Theodore, who gave him a slight and reassuring nod to keep calm and to not make sudden moves. The hunter's eyes darted back over to the walker, its curiosity seemingly satisfied as it turned from him with a soft snarl from its throat. Daryl's chest sank as he slowly let out the anxious breath he'd been holding in all that time.

Twenty minutes. A five to ten minute walk on a normal day took them what seemed like an eternity to make to the small neighborhood Shane spotted. To be in the thick of a herd like that was scarier than the farm. They were all thankful that the plan worked. They broke into a ranch home and made quick work of the sweep, finding nothing. They got to work barricading the exits and closing all the blinds and curtains on the windows. Daryl lit a few candles he found for light and put them in places where nothing could brush over them and cause a fire.

With two bathrooms in the place, Shane waited until Theodore was done to get cleaned up. He waited for a while, knowing that the others were going be a long time, trying to wash off the walker stink they spread over themselves like jam on toast. By the time Daryl was done with his shower and dressed in some clothes he found in one of the closets, he came into the living room, seeing Douglas in a fresh pair of jeans and a football jersey. The stocky man was set quietly on the floor by the fire he got going in the fireplace looking at a few photos in his hand, seeming a little down.

"Family?" Daryl asked in his usual drawled mumble, unsure of how to go about starting a conversation.

Theodore nodded, but said nothing at first. Daryl sat on the opposite side of the fireplace, on the floor with him, and asked if it was okay for him to look at the pictures, to which T-Dog said it was and gave him the photographs to look at. Daryl's sapphire eyes gazed downward at the pictures, seeing so many smiling, faces. It seemed to be a family reunion, a recent one from what Daryl could tell. Everyone seemed so happy at that moment, so tight-knit. Nothing like what he had growing up.

"Big family." Daryl remarked. "Y'all look real close."

"We were." Theodore answered. "Every time we could: birthdays, anniversaries, big holidays… sometimes just because… we got together. It was always a good time."

Daryl looked at another picture, seeing T-Dog with three beautiful women and another man that looked like Theodore, but with graying hair, to which Theodore explained that those were his older siblings – his brother being around twenty years of age by the time Theodore himself was born and mentioned his parents marrying at around that age. There was another picture of his parents that looked like a stolen moment of them slow dancing together as the sun was setting. There was another one of his brother with his wife of Hispanic descent and their three children – their son with his girlfriend on his arm. The other photos were of his sisters with their husbands and children – one with four children, one with two children, and the last expecting their first child. Daryl squirmed a little, unsure of what he was feeling as he looked through these captured moments. There was so much love and warmth, he could almost feel it by just looking at them… jealous… he felt a little jealous about it, but only for a moment.

"What happened?" Daryl asked, unsure if this was a sensitive topic. "How come it was just you at the quarry camp?"

"My siblings and their children live out west in L.A., Texas, up north in New York and Washington." T-Dog answered "I stayed and took care of our parents, kept the locksmith store going that the family owned for…. close to seventy years now. They died about two years before all this started. They…. They lived a good, long life and they were happy."

Daryl nodded silently and looked over at the fire after handing the photos back to their rightful owner. He felt bad that his group mate didn't get to see any of them before the dead started walking the earth. Theodore cleared his throat and scratched his nose a little bit.

"I'm sorry… about your brother, Daryl." Theodore said after a bit. The apology hung in the air for a moment as Daryl seemed to sadden for a moment before shaking his head.

"You did right by him, comin' back… so don't be." Daryl muttered "My brother's an asshole… I know that. He wasn't really good for nothin' an' pissed everyone off all the time, but…."

"He's your family." T-Dog said "These days, that's all anyone has anymore, if they're lucky." He added as he offered the archer a can of chili, getting a mumbled thanks from the archer as he accepted the can.

"… Hope yours is all right." Daryl said after a while, to which T-Dog nodded.

Daryl offered T-Dog a Spicy Slim Jim from his bag, which Theodore quietly thanked in him for in return.

Shane stood in the hallway as he listened to the conversation. It made him miss Rick, Carl, and Lori. Despite it all, they were like family to him. Rick was his brother. As much as part of him wanted to go and find them, he couldn't. He wouldn't know where to look. The wounds, though some were self-inflicted, were still too fresh. He had to convince that other part of him that this was for the best. It was hard right now, but he hoped that over time, he would stop thinking about them. For now, he had to sit with the other guys and discuss their plans for after they go back to the supermarket.

….


	4. Stroke of Luck

Hey, Readers! Here's another chapter for you guys! I apologize for the long wait. Here, Amarynthe and Jamie try to break into a pharmacy and end up seeing some new faces.

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

I do not own TWD.

UPDATE: This chapter has been 'enhanced' a little bit, I hope you enjoy the new bits!

….

**Stroke of Luck**

….

Amarynthe kept her brother close at her side, box cutter in hand and cradling her injured arm. They both kept their eyes peeled as they quickly moved in the darkness. Their car had been running on fumes for the past twenty minutes. If it weren't for Bishop and his men, Amarynthe would've been able to get gas in the morning as she'd planned. For fifteen minutes, they practically jogged until they came across a pharmacy. She looked to her brother and signed to him that they would go in the back way and he nodded, knife in one hand and crowbar in the other.

He was nervous, holding a weapon. Ever since the dead started walking, Amarynthe and Devlin, rest his soul, took turns trying to teach the young boy how to use a blade, but never had to use that knowledge. Amarynthe tapped into what her father taught her from his years in the French military: how properly use a fire arm, a knife, and parkour, and how to disarm an assailant among other things. She never really got into guns and hindsight made her wish she had kept up practicing. They drew closer to the back of the building and two walkers caught sight of them and began stumbling toward them. Jamie froze in place, his hands trembling to the point where he almost dropped what he was holding. His body was telling him to run and hide, but he couldn't. He couldn't leave her alone like that. Frightened, he could only watch as his sister kicked one back to buy herself time and eventually killing them both with the box cutter.

Jamie stood, wide-eyed and blood spattered on his clothes and hands, his breath escaping him as puffs of vapor in the cold air as he looked at the fallen bodies. He quivered as his eyes found his sister, who nodded toward him. He suddenly felt physically ill and turned toward the wall and vomited.

"It's all right." Amarynthe whispered as she rubbed his back and looked around, "Let it out… it's okay."

After a minute or two, Jamie finished, spitting out any residual emesis coating his mouth. Amarynthe retracted her box cutter and pulled her revolver before telling Jamie that she would try and look for ginger ale or something for him while they were inside. The boy nodded and wiped his mouth with the handkerchief in his pocket. Amarynthe and Jamie went over to the door and the young woman gripped the handle, hoping that the door would be unlocked and gave the door a few earnest tugs. With a sigh, she turned to her brother and asked him to hand her the crowbar. She took another breath and set the flat edge of the crowbar behind the lock panel. This was going to cause more discomfort in her injured arm, on top of it aching horribly from the gunshot wound. She counted backwards mentally from three, giving her time to mentally prepare for the pain. By the time she got to two the door opened inward and two men came out, guns aimed at her initially, but lowered a bit upon seeing it was a woman and a boy.

Amarynthe kept Jamie behind her and her gun on them. Her eyes darted between them: one about average to tall height and medium build with dark and choppy layers of pin-straight hair that looked to have grown out for a time – just barely grazing his shoulders, almond honey brown eyes and tanned skin and what looked to be tattoos of Japanese characters on the inside of his arm and what looked to be a barcode on his neck, just barely peeking out from behind his hair. The other male was significantly paler, taller and of a lean build with jet black hair and blue eyes that cut through the fringes of his bangs.

"Not the best time to be out and about, miss." the taller man said. "It was kind of challenging to clear this place and you almost compromised it."

Amarynthe continued to look at the men. They didn't seem like they were with her pursuers, but she couldn't be sure. She was about to just come out and ask them if they knew of Franklin Bishop when a woman emerged from the building with a long-barreled colt revolver in hand.

"David?" The woman said as she quickly moved a lock of chocolate brown hair from in front of her face to behind her ear. "Everything okay out here?"

The taller man turned to the woman briefly and back to Amarynthe, telling her everything was fine as she moved closer. Amarynthe lowered her gun slightly, like the men did and glanced back at Jamie to make sure he was okay. The woman noticed Amarynthe cradling her arm and the small boy peeking out from behind her with a scared look on his face.

"Please… I don't want any trouble." Amarynthe said, groaning at the end when she moved her arm. "My car is down the street, out of fuel…. I just need some medical supplies for my arm and something for his stomach."

"Were you bitten?" The second man asked.

"Non… I-I was shot." The French woman admitted.

The woman started to walk over to Amarynthe, but was stopped by the taller, blue-eyed man, while at the same time, Amarynthe put her arm back and kept Jamie behind her. The woman placed her hands on her hips and looked over at David. The other man kept eyes on Amarynthe. In tattooed guy's mind, she seemed to be genuine, rather harmless – possibly different when it came to the kid, but he couldn't let his guard down. It was possible that she was being used as a ploy or something. He tended to be suspicious of anyone he didn't know, when it came to strangers being around his group, his younger brother and late friend's sister inside the building, in particular.

"Lina, hold on…" David whispered. "She sounds like she's got people after her…"

"We were followed by bandits this morning, David." Lina reminded gently. "They shot at us, too… It could have just as easily been a stray bullet from someone else's altercation."

She started to make her way over to Amarynthe again, but was stopped by David once more, taking a gentle hold of her shoulder this time. He looked at her with concern as her eyes locked with his. He offered to go over with her, in case the woman tried anything. He didn't want Lina getting hurt. A blustery wind blew, making all outside shiver. Lina's eyes fell on the boy again as he eyed their surroundings to make sure there were no more walkers. Lina looked to David again and suggested that they should let them inside.

"Lee…" David said quietly.

"It's dark and cold, she has a kid with her and no means to get anywhere right now." Lina said "Besides… I took the Hippocratic Oath… that doesn't die because the world ended; she needs medical help."

Lina and David kept their eyes on each other. He couldn't help but be protective of her, after the things they had gone through and seen together. It was clear that David trusted his group, but trusted Lina the most out of everyone. She voiced her opinions to him, but was always supportive. This was one of the few times she disagreed with him.

"I don't know how I feel about this." David whispered to Lina. "For all we know, she killed one of the people that were after her."

"We can't turn her and her kid away." Lina replied in a softer tone. "I'm only saying to let me help her. You can ask her what you need to ask, if you want, and if you feel she can join… then invite her… if she tries anything, there are more of us."

"David… you know I always have both your backs, but I'm with Lina on this one." The second man spoke up. "… She needs help."

Hesitantly, David agreed and turned toward the French woman and the child, quickly ushering them out of the cold along with Lina, who turned to the second man.

"Eiji, help me set her up in the break room, please?" she asked, getting a quick nod from him.

Eiji was the last to get into the building, doing a quick check to make sure that there were no walkers or suspicious activity nearby before closing and locking the back door to the pharmacy. He rushed in behind the others and got to work, helping Lina prepare Amarynthe for getting the bullet taken out of her shoulder. As Amarynthe was led in, she spotted a girl sitting on the floor with her legs hugged close to her body and a boy, of a similar age sitting beside her, trying to console her. The girl's face was covered by the curtain of dark, curls. She sat there, silently. Jameson stopped and watched as David went over to the two teens and crouched down to check on the girl.

"Have you been able to get Taz to eat anything, Rui?" he asked the boy.

"She took some more water… nothing else." Rui sighed as he looked over his long-time friend. "I'm gonna keep trying." He added.

David nodded and gave him a pat on the shoulder before looking at Taz. She had just lost her brother, whom everyone in their group had come to know as a dear friend. To Tazirah, Adrien was her role model; she wanted to be just like him when he was a competing motocross star. He was ten years older than her and did well with motocross, and later, graphic design, after an injury that forced him to retire. Even after his accident, she remained inspired and went on practicing, eventually competing in local circuits. Outside of that, she adored her big brother. When her parents left town for business reasons, she always stayed with him and he never made her feel like a burden or that she was "cramping his style". He doted over her to a degree, wanting her to be confident in being able to do for herself when she needed, like how their parents taught him. She could always confide in him about different things and he'd always listen and give the best advice he could when asked. Most importantly, though they would have their disagreements at times… they always had fun together.

She missed the kindness in his eyes, seeing his dimples when he smiled. She missed his bear hugs and even though she hated the bristliness of his scruffy face when he rubbed his cheek against hers, she missed that, too. Adrien was her world… and now he was gone. Her mind kept flashing with the gruesome sight of him getting torn apart… seeing Eiji with that gun aimed at his head. Eiji couldn't have Tazirah do it, nor his little brother. Adrien "Addy" Malouf was his best friend. As much as it pained him to pull that trigger, it hurt just as much to see Taz the way she was. But he had to end his agony and keep him from turning.

Jamie looked at Taz and Rui for a little bit before turning his attention to the break room. He saw Lina remove Amarynthe's vest and then instruct her to lie on the table so she could examine her, cutting her shirt to get it the fabric out of the way..

"May I ask how you were going to remove the bullet?" Lina inquired as she inspected the entry point, which she located on the very back pf her shoulder. "Where you were hit, it's pretty dangerous to try and remove on your own."

"I… I don't know." Amarynthe murmured and blushed in embarrassment, not having really thought that far. All she knew was that she was going to find a way. All Amarynthe knew for certain was that she wasn't going to have her brother do it. She looked over her shoulder at Lina as she started to go through her kit. "Thank you for your help… and I'm sorry for being such trouble."

"No trouble." Lina offered with a kind smile. "This is what I did… still do." She added. Lina asked if Amarynthe had any allergies to any numbing agents, to which Amarynthe denied. From there, Lina and Amarynthe continued to make small talk as she pulled out some anesthesia, a new syringe and needle, some betadine and swabs, everything she needed to extract the bullet.

"You were a doctor?" Amarynthe asked, earning a nod in response. "So you saw a lot of this earlier on, then?" she asked quietly.

Lina continued keeping Amarynthe occupied with discussion as she continued to prep for the procedure. As she put on sterile gloves, she explained how it started with one or two cases. The earlier ones were taken to other facilities to be examined, without much explanation. It was a slow trickle at first, but it wasn't long until it had become chaos. It was a difficult thing to witness and Lina had lost many patients to it… something that never happened to her before. Lina took a gauze pad soaked in peroxide and warned her of the impending discomfort she would experience. Eiji took off his leather jacket and rolled it up tightly before offering it to the French woman.

"The pain's gonna suck." He sighed as he set it in front of Amarynthe. "Use it how you need to to get through it."

Jamie stepped into the room with a look of concern on his face. He stood by her and took hold of her free hand while she gripped the leather jacket with the other.

"Jamie… mon cher, you don't have to be here… you don't have to worry, okay?" Amarynthe assured.

Jamie shook his head and held her hand tighter. He knew that she wasn't dying or anything, but he just didn't want to be away from her. It made Amarynthe smile a little. Gently, she ran her thumb over his little knuckles before she turned toward Lina and told her she was ready to begin. Amarynthe gripped the leather jacket and bit down on the supple material to keep from making too much noise. Her breaths were audible as the disinfectant stung and burned while it killed any germs that resided in her wound. It felt like someone was scraping a bundle of flaming needles around in her traumatized flesh. When Lina was done, she flushed the site with saline and prepped with betadine before using one of the sterile syringes in her kit to administer the numbing agents. Arguably, the worst part of it was over.

….

Rui continued to sit by Tazirah, looking at her as he tried to figure out what to say. He was worried that he still couldn't get her to eat, no matter how much he pleaded. He held the package of raspberry zingers in his right hand, resting his wrist over his knee. His left was about a pinky's width away from hers on the floor. He saw her unchanged expression, like she was in a state of shock. His thoughts and words were a bit of a jumble in his mind for a moment, but his mouth started to move before he could really sort everything out.

"Taz?" Rui called gently "I'm gonna be selfish for a minute, if that's okay…" he began. The teen watched her for a moment for any response and sighed when he didn't even see her flinch.

"You want to know one of my favorite memories of Adrien?" Rui asked her. "Remember when we were kids and our families went to Seaworld during our summer break? It was us, Addy, your parents and my mom… and my dad and Eiji stayed behind to keep the restaurant going. We got to do the dolphin encounter and we were both so excited and nervous… the dolphin that was in the pool was very energetic and it was a little overwhelming for teeny, little us…." He added as his pale hand reached over her darker, deep olive toned and more slender hand, taking it into his own.

"That moment when they swam up to us… we were scared to reach out to touch him? Addy just got in the pool and started petting the one that was near us with this serene sort of look on his face. And he looked up at us sitting at the edge of the pool. All it took was that smile he gave and you knew everything was okay. I regret not getting my courage quicker and joining in sooner." Rui recalled. "Seeing you shine in delight as you pet and fed the dolphin and did tricks with him…. you were braver than me then, always have been. Stronger too, at times. I'm going to get stronger and braver so it won't happen again… so you won't have to be sad like this anymore… all I can really do right now is pester you into eating…. Please eat?"

Tazirah said nothing – didn't even look his way, but her brows turned up a little as she gently squeezed his hand. In her mind, Rui was strong. He was being strong for her right now. He stayed by her side ever since Adrien died. Even in his supposed selfish moment, he started to make her feel better with all the good memories he'd been sharing with her. He was strong and she was thankful for it. Her amber eyes shifted slightly as the pack of raspberry Zingers was slowly, almost comically brought into her field of vision by Rui. He knew that these were her favorite flavor. She nodded in thanks and gently took the pack from his hand and began to finesse the cellophane open and slowly started eating, much to Rui's relief.

…

Several hours later, Amarynthe remained in the break room after having the bullet removed and helped as best she could to clean up. She made note of her brother looking at some of the items that were left on the shelves before going back to her camera, swiping through photos that she took of Jamie and Devlin. She could still hear his warm deep voice in her head sometimes. His laughter and encouragement, being able to confide in him and knowing she would get wise advice back or comfort when she needed it. With how much he loved her and Jamie, people thought they were the cutest little family – often getting the "how long have you two been married?" question, which was always politely answered with a denial of any romantic relationship between them.

Tears began to stream down again as she looked at the snapshots, seeing smiles and silly faces, goofy posing and laughter in every captured moment. She missed those days very much. With a sigh, she set the digital camera on the table and placed her head in her hands, trying to calm down again. She was in her own thoughts when she heard a gentle rapping against the doorframe. She looked toward the break room entrance and saw Eiji standing there with his left thumb in his jeans pocket and watched him as he combed his hands through his dark, messy hair to get it out of his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.

"A lot better… thank you." Amarynthe answered "Sorry about… your jacket."

"Eh, no worries – just a few little scratches." He replied, getting a silent nod before Amarynthe started removing her arm warmers from over her long sleeved sweater. "I, um… I gave some warm food that we had left over to your kid…"

"Thank you again… E-Eiji, right? "Amarynthe said.

"Yeah… Eiji Yamada… and um, … no problem." The man responded with a slightly nervous chuckle. "There's still some left, if you're hungry? Even if you're not right now, its yours, should you change your mind."

"That's very kind of you. I'm not hungry, though… and, Jamie's… he's my brother." She added.

"Sort of know what that can be like." Eiji nodded as he took a few steps into the break room. "Though, Rui wasn't nearly as young as Jamie when our parents passed about seven years back."

"Jamie… still calls me 'Mommy' from time to time." Amarynthe spoke softly. "It used to be a lot more often. I was all he knew… I suppose he might as well have been my child." She chuckled through her bittersweet smile.

Eiji nodded quietly before asking if Jamie knew what happened to his parents. Jamie knew that their parents died in a fiery plane crash on the way back to France after her mother, Priya Arceneau - St. Pierre, showed her newest collection at New York Fashion Week for the fall and winter; their father went in support. As much as he knew about them and appreciated them, he would never have the connection to them that Amarynthe did. Priya and Myleaux were loving parents and instilled a strong work ethic in Amarynthe; she loved them and was grateful for having such caring people in her life. Eiji noticed Amarynthe saddening a little bit after she stopped talking about her parents and started looking over at her camera, seeing the screen go black as it went into "sleep mode". Eiji didn't pry any further on what she lost. Just then, Jamie came running into the room with a big smile on his face and both his arms behind his back.

"Such a big smile, Jamie." Amarynthe observed with a soft, warm smile of her own as she pet his head. "You must have found something good. Is it candy?"

Jamie pouted for a moment when his sister figured out some of what he was hiding. That didn't last long when he put the items on the table. A six-pack of fun-size chocolate candies, a small box of animal crackers and a box of Amarynthe's favorite brand of blue hair dye. Ever since he could remember, nine times out of ten, Amarynthe's hair was blue. It was very rare that she wore it in its natural golden brown color. It was just a simple little thing that made her happy. Amarynthe thought it was so cute that Jamie thought of her and she thanked him, giving him a big hug and a kiss on top of his head.

"It's getting late, Jamie… you should start getting ready for bed." she signed to him.

"Can I stay up a little bit longer? Not like I've got school tomorrow or something…" Jamie signed, giving her big puppy dog eyes.

"_Non, mon cher_… bedtime; stay away from the windows." Amarynthe said gently. Jamie sighed and signed 'okay' reluctantly before going to get his sleeping bag from her pack.

Eiji smiled a little at their exchange and glanced over at Amarynthe as she watched him leave the room. He sat at the table and talked with her some more before David walked in with a mug of the soup that was remaining and a protein bar, along with a bottle of water. Carefully, he set it all in front of the woman.

"You really should eat, Miss." David sighed before patting Eiji on the shoulder "This man is a whiz with a camper stove and hot plate. Can make damn near anything taste insanely good." he chortled.

"Oh, really?" Amarynthe replied with a little smile. "A master chef in your midst? How fortunate."

"I do all right." Eiji said with a humbleness in his voice. "I used to run a restaurant in Atlanta... Tabemono on 10th."

"I ... actually ate there with my brother and a... a good friend. A few days before all this happened." Amarynthe mentioned quietly. "It was really good; it's clear that you're passionate about food."

"Thanks." Eiji chuckled. He almost blushed a little at the sudden attention he was getting. "I like to make people happy with my food... and sharing my experience, is all."

"The man is genius and a big part in keeping things running smoothly." David said of Eiji before turning to Amarynthe. "I don't think we've formally introduced. I'm David Atcheson. You met Yamada, here." He began, giving one final tap on Eiji's shoulder "… the woman who stitched you up is Dr. Lina Carlisle… the two young ones are Eiji's brother, Rui Yamada and their friend, Tazirah Malouf…. She lost her brother recently – last… last leg of our supply run… a good man."

"I'm so sorry… I can't imagine how hard that is on all of you… my condolences." Amarynthe sighed as she watched Jamie come back into the break room with both his and Amarynthe's sleeping bags. "My name is Amarynthe Arceneau-St. Pierre."

"Pleased to officially meet you." David said kindly.

"Wait... the photographer?" Eiji inquired curiously. "'Slow Motion Riot' series, fashion photographer Arceneau-St. Pierre?"

"...Yes. That's me." The French woman answered after a moment of silence.

Eiji had an almost star-struck look on his face when he revealed that he was a fan of her work. He knew she did mostly fashion photography, but her other works were among his favorites. He even brought up a series that she did where the subject was at peace or seemingly pensive while such whimsical chaos was occurring around them. He actually bought a few of them and graced Tabemono's walls with their presence. Amarynthe smiled was clearly flattered by his knowledge of her work and thanked him humbly. After the exchanges, David pulled the third chair from the table and sat backwards on it so he could lean on the back. The three of them sat in silence for a moment as Amarynthe looked between the two men. Her eyes rested on David for a moment as he scratched his prickly face. The mood in the room had quickly turned serious.

"I guess we go on to business. ... The way you are with your brother…." David began before clearing his throat. "From what I've seen, I don't think you would be out there at night with him like that…. so why were you?" he inquired curiously.

"We were in a cabin earlier in the evening." Amarynthe replied. "Some men came after us and I was shot while I was speeding away… Have you ever heard the name Franklin Bishop?"

"… No, that… doesn't ring familiar for me." David answered after some thought. He turned to Eiji, as if to throw the question to him.

"I've never heard that name, either." Eiji responded before looking to Amarynthe. "Is that who you're running from?"

Amarynthe only nodded silently. There was as apparent release of relief in her eyes when they answered, but she was still feeling uneasy about giving any information about her problems. These people showed her nothing but kindness and now she was scared for them. With what she had done, she knew Franklin wouldn't stop searching for her and Jamie. She realized if they knew too much, it was possible that Bishop would try to get information from them and would probably hurt them to get it. Amarynthe couldn't have that on her conscience. She looked down at her folded hands in her lap for a while as she thought, waiting for the next question to be thrown her way.

"Why are they after you?" David inquired.

Amarynthe shivered as the thoughts came flooding back. Thoughts that she kept pressed down so she could focus on providing for Jamie. They were too horrifying to think about. Her mouth started to try and form words, but no sound left her throat. Eiji noticed that Amarynthe's hands had clasped together tightly and trembled. It was then that David realized he may have been right in what he was thinking: she killed someone from this Bishop person's group.

"You don't seem all that malicious and blood thirsty." David sighed.

"That's because I'm not malicious and bloodthirsty." Amarynthe replied.

"But I'm sure you can understand my concerns; anyone can be anyone now. I'm only going to ask this once… What was your reason for killing?"

"To protect us… and nothing more than that." Amarynthe said as her eyes turned to David. "I hope that I never have to do something like that again."

David's cobalt eyes glanced over at Jamie, who again was trying to comfort his sister as she looked down at her hands once more. Jamie had some understanding of the burdens and stresses that Amarynthe had to carry. She tried hard for both of them and it was never really lost on him that she would do just about anything to keep him safe. As often as he felt that it wasn't enough, he knew that the best he could do right now is make it easy on her… be a good kid and help where he could. Neither of them budged until after Eiji and David excused themselves to talk about things, when Jamie quickly looked to Amarynthe.

"Do you think… it's possible that… that they'll let us join their group?" Jamie signed.

"They seem like good people, don't they?" Amarynthe signed back, earning a nod from Jamie. "I don't know if they will, but… we can't, in any case." Amarynthe signed, her brows turned upward as she saw her brother's hopefulness seem to deflate a bit.

"But… having numbers is a form of protection, right?" Jamie signed. "That's what Devlin…"

Jamie's hands fell to his sides and his head hung low. He hadn't 'spoken' his name since he died. Devlin was one of his most favorite people in his life. It really hit him hard how alone they really were now. Amarynthe hugged Jamie again, stroking his hair comfortingly. Quietly, she told him that it wouldn't be right of them to bring their problems to their doorstep and endanger them like that. She promised him that it wouldn't be like that for them forever and they would find a group one day, maybe even run into this group again. For now, they would be on their own.

Amarynthe was actually surprised that David returned to offer them the opportunity to join their group. She declined, not wanting to put them in harm's way for their sake. David could see that she wasn't keen on changing her mind. Still, he left the offer open to them. If they ever found each other again, she was more than welcome to join. Amarynthe thanked them and from there, she and her brother spent the night in the pharmacy, keeping to themselves


End file.
